Monday, August 31, 2009

My attempt at not being a sell out...

I’ve been contemplating the death of blogging. It doesn’t seem right that Facebook and Twitter could be a sustainable trade for blogging.
A friend of mine recently said, “Facebook killed the radio star.” While I don’t exactly understand it, I whole heartily agree.
How is that a one liner, written sarcastically in the third person can replace an authentic peek into someone’s life and mind?

How can BRANDI WILSON TOOK HER SON SPENCER TO THE ER LAST NIGHT FOR 6 STITCHES ON HIS FOOT.

Be a replacement for:
Four of the kids spent the night with Mom the other night. It was a much needed break for me. Summer had chewed me up that week and spit me out. I was ready for a relaxing evening doing anything but answering a millions questions and listening to anything besides repetitive video game music. I dropped off the kids at Mom’s and was so pleased that she had great plans for the kids. It was their last summer hurrah so she had the girls bring their play dishes because they were going to have a tea party. Mom had mini cheesecakes thawing. My nephews were already there and dying for my boys to get there. My boys had brought their video games and Mom had already made up a “Boys Room” where they could play video games and be as loud as they want. She was preparing to make hamburgers and asked what Randy and I were doing for dinner to which I replied, “Not eating here!” No offense to her hamburgers but I was not interested in being around the kid’s excited energy when I had all the wonderful silence waiting for me at home.
So I left and I was excited for the kid’s and their fun and myself with my nothingness.
I went home and returned to a book I had begun reading about a sarcastic post-Jehovah’s witness that grew up never being able to buy things at garage sales because her “fellowship” believed that demons attached themselves to things at garage sales. The book was hilarious and a bit spooky because of all the demon talk so I was already a little jumpy when the phone rang.
It was my Mom saying, “You’ve got to come and get Spencer and take him to the hospital. He’s hurt. I’m sure he needs stitches.” Then she HUNG UP. No, I’m not kidding. That was the call. I didn’t know what was wrong. I knew she couldn’t take him because she didn’t have enough seats in her car. I also knew it was not ambulance worthy, but still there’s a big gap between taking one to the hospital and ambulance. Well, I called my mother in law (she lives two doors down) and basically said that same thing to her except instead of “you have to take Spencer to the hospital” I asked if she would take care of Miles for me. After she said yes I left the house and didn’t wait for her to get here.
On my way to my Mom’s I tried to get a hold of Randy but his phone was dead. As I was driving I passed him on Butternut so he ended up following me over to Mom’s house.
When we got there our tough boy wasn’t crying. He had several kids hovering over him and his leg was resting in Mom’s lap. She had a white dishrag wrapped over his foot. When we got closer she removed the rag and the top of his foot was sliced open and stretched apart. It was cut through to the fat.
All the kids began to tell me the whole story. I could see that Jocie had been crying. She’s so sensitive to other people’s pain. I could also see that Spencer had been crying. His face was swollen and splotchy. Randy picked up his big boy and carried him to the truck.
The boys had been playing out side while Mom was cooking hamburgers on the grill and she was yelling at them to get their shoes on. The punch line of the whole story is that Spencer was going inside to get his shoes on when he sliced his foot open on Grammy’s door.
So, we take him to the ER because it’s after hours at his pediatrician’s office. I figure my glorious evening of nothingness is long gone because it’s being traded for hours of waiting in the ER. I was pleasantly wrong. We were out of there in an hour with fantastic service and a $5 co-pay for his insurance which will run out today.
We dropped him back off at Mom’s with 6 stitches and a cheering welcome from all the other kids. Randy and I ended up eating hamburgers with all the kids and Mom and still had silence to go back home to.


BRANDI WILSON HAS HOPEFULLY PROVED HER POINT.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

It's almost here!

Just took the kids to orientation at their school so they could take their supplies, meet their teacher, check out their classroom and so I could fill out a ton of paperwork. I love Cornerstone so much! I’m very thankful they get to go there. God has been faithful to provide money to send them there.
I would love to work there full time but I’m just not able to do that with Miles at this time. I am going to work up there one day a week though. Miles is going to go with me. I’m excited about that. I will mainly be helping behind the scenes for the Kindergarten class. I’ll be writing all their names on papers, getting work together for the following week, cutting stuff out, doing a lot of prep work, grading papers…that kind of stuff. When I finish with that I’ll be doing help for 1st grade and then some office stuff. I’m excited about all this. It’s my favorite kind of work! Plus I’ll be substituting when they need me. I’ve already got a couple of days next month that I’ll be subbing for Kindergarten.

I’m so excited about school starting (and not because the kids will be gone.) I’m excited because it’s something new. I’m ready for the new school year!!!!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Jocie's mint

Jocie was eating a mint but she kept taking it in and out of her mouth. I told her that she needed to either keep it in her mouth or throw it away. She held out the mint and said, "It tastes like an unrefreshing Pepsi that's been sitting outside on a hot day like today!!"

Then she popped it in her mouth and said, "Oh, it's better now."

That girl cracks me up.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Needed To Blog Something

We’re still looking for a church. We’ve now visited South Side twice and Morning Star once. Randy and I really like South Side. Joey really likes Morning Star. Jocie wants to try New Hope. Melody likes South Side because her friends go there & she likes Morning Star because she can get prizes. Spencer would rather sleep in on Sundays than to go to church. So, we’re still undecided. Randy and I previously agreed that we would continue to alternate until we knew where we’re supposed to go. So, that’s what we’re doing. It’s been an exciting change. The transition couldn’t have gone smoother. I’m so thankful for the way it all went down. I’m so thankful that Brandon released us the way he did.

School is about to start. One week and three days. I’ve enjoyed our summer together. It’s gone by so fast. We’ve been staying up until 1 in the morning and sleeping in until 10. I’m going to miss that. I love that kind of sleeping schedule. Spencer, Jocie and Melody are returning to Cornerstone this year. I’m happy about that. I love that school. Joey is going to public middle school at Madison. Today I took him to orientation and the staff seemed really nice and organized. I think it made me feel a little better. I’ve had a hard time adjusting to the fact that he’s going there. He’s going from knowing every single person in his school to not knowing one person. Today the counselor told me that there will be 280 sixth graders there this year! I’ve decided to trust the Lord in this matter and believe that he will protect Joey and continue to show him favor.

Miles will be staying home again this year. My flesh tries to freak out every once in awhile and scare me about Miles’ unknown future, but I have combating that with the fact that for today, this year, I enjoy taking care of all his needs and that it’s a blessing to be able to stay at home and take care of him. He could go to school but I don’t feel good about that yet and I’m thankful that I’m able to stay home with him. I never knew I would enjoy doing all the medical things I do for him. We could definitely have a full time nurse for him, but I’m glad we don’t.

Randy’s business has been doing well. This year is already so much better than last year! He’s staying so busy that I usually don’t know where he’s working on any given day. He’s got a website now. It’s straightpathhomes.com You should check it out. He has three guys working for him. He’s flipping a house by ours, doing a huge addition to one home and several smaller jobs all at the same time. The add on that he’s doing is a 1500 square foot addition to a 1300 square foot house.

Me…I feel like I’ve been on hold all summer. I haven’t done any writing which isn’t good. There hasn’t seem to be a ton of time to write but even more than that I don’t think I’ve been able to hear myself think this summer. The kids talk to me all day long and there’s always something to do. I’m not complaining about that. It’s just a fact. Writing requires thinking and thinking hasn’t been a luxury lately. I’m excited to have some quiet in the house when the kids go back to school and focus on getting some writing done. It’s important.

I’m looking forward to the quiet, the freedom to be able to go where ever I want to doing the day, the schedule of a school routine, going to lunch with friends while the kids are in school, drinking coffee and writing at the kitchen table and watching God continue being so extravagantly faithful to us.

What are you looking forward to?